Sketch superimposed on photo of site model

Palácio do Povo / People's Palace

Name
Loa Karkov
Education degree
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Architecture
Institute
Architecture, Urbanism and Landscape
Program
Urbanism and Societal Change
Year
2026

Exploring communal housing in the Junqueira Palace

In Lisbon, locals are in dire need of homes while state-owned buildings stand vacant or are transformed for tourism purposes. This project criticizes this tendency by imagining a vacant 17th century palace transformed into communal housing. Typological and aesthetic clashes shape a space adaptive to residents’ shifting needs and accommodating democratic communities in the neighborhood.

This project is carried out in collaboration with Tomás Faustino and Omar Hegazy.

Vacancy mapping
Mapping of vacancies in Lisbon
Plan
Full plan of the Palace and garden
Strategic principles
Strategic principles

Site

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Axonometry of the context
Section
Site mapping
Site section
Axonometry of the context
Section of the Palace and its surroundings
Mapping of tourist functions, housing, and vacant buildings
Section of the Palace and its surroundings

Palace core

Sketches
Hand sketches: ways to inhabit the Palace core
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Section
Plan
Section
Section through shared laundry room in Palace core
Plan of housing and shared/public functions in the Palace core
Section through housing units in Palace core
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Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Photo of physical model of housing units in the Palace core
Photo of physical model of housing units in the Palace core
Photo of physical model of housing units in the Palace core
Photo of physical model of housing units in the Palace core
Photo of physical model of housing units in the Palace core
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Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Photo of physical model of shared laundry room in the Palace core
Photo of physical model of shared laundry room in the Palace core
Photo of physical model of shared laundry room in the Palace core

Palace underbelly

Hand sketches
Hand sketches: ways to inhabit the Palace underbelly
Hand sketches
Hand sketches: Minimarket and café in Palace underbelly
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Plan
Section
Plan
Plan of collective housing unit in Palace underbelly
Section through Palace underbelly
Plan of public functions (minimarket and café) in Palace underbelly
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Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Photo of physical model of collective housing unit in Palace underbelly
Photo of physical model of collective housing unit in Palace underbelly
Photo of physical model of collective housing unit in Palace underbelly
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Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Photo of physical model of minimarket in Palace underbelly
Photo of physical model of minimarket in Palace underbelly
Photo of physical model of minimarket in Palace underbelly

Auditorium extension

Hand sketches
Hand sketches: ways to inhabit the Auditorium extension
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Plan
Plan
Section
Plan
Plan
Plan of collective housing unit in Auditorium extension
Plan of collective housing unit in Auditorium extension
Section through housing units and public pool in Auditorium extension
Plan of public pool in Auditorium extension
Axo-plan of garden activities related to the public pool in the Auditorium building
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Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Photo of physical model of collective housing's common area in Auditorium building
Photo of physical model of collective housing's common area in Auditorium building
Photo of physical model of collective housing's common area in Auditorium building
Photo of physical model of collective housing's common area in Auditorium building
Photo of physical model of collective housing's common area in Auditorium building
Photo of physical model of collective housing's common area in Auditorium building
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Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Photo of physical model of public pool in Auditorium building
Photo of physical model of public pool in Auditorium building
Photo of physical model of public pool in Auditorium building

Lab buildings

Hand sketches
Hand sketches: creating community in and around the Lab buildings
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Plan
Plan
Section
Plan
Section
Plan of existing structure in the lab building
Plan of collective housing units in Lab building
Section through duplex collective housing unit in Lab building
Plan of workshop area in Lab building's ground floor
Section through workshop area in Lab building's ground floor
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Model photo
Model photo
Model photo
Photo of physical model of collective housing unit in Lab building
Photo of physical model of collective housing unit in Lab building
Photo of physical model of collective housing unit in Lab building
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Model photo
Model photo
Photo of physical model of Lab building exterior at night
Photo of physical model of Lab building exterior at night

Societal theme

Below is a collection of material exploring our societal themes of Lisbon's vacancies along with the ongoing housing crisis, gentrification and touristification. Our strategic principles (as seen towards the top of this page) are based off our findings in these explorations.

Vacancy

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Mapping of vacancies in all of Portugal
Mapping of density of vacancies in Lisbon
Diagram showing the number of potential residents if Lisbon's vacant buildings were used for housing
Diagram showing functions of vacant buildings in 2009 and 2022
Mapping of vacancy density in Portugal as well as public-owned vacant buildings
Mapping of vacancy density in Lisbon, showing the central areas to have the most vacancies
Number of potential inhabitants if Lisbon's vacant buildings were used for housing
A big part of Lisbon's vacant buildings have been reclaimed for touristic purposes such as hotels

Housing crisis

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Mapping of rent variation in Lisbon
Diagram of rent variation
Mapping of social housing in Lisbon
Diagram showing when social housing has been constructed in Lisbon
Diagram of analysis of apartment plans from around Portugal
Mapping of rent variation in Lisbon
Lisbon is the EU capital where residents spend the highest percentage of their salary on rent
Mapping of social housing in Lisbon, showing them to be mostly on the outskirts
Very little social housing has been constructed in Lisbon since its peak in the 1970's-80's
Housing throughout Portugal tends to follow the same plan pattern: functionally divided and without much gradients between public, shared and private
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Map of Lisbon with vacant square meters
Map of Lisbon with vacant square meters

The Royal Danish Academy supports the Sustainable Development Goals

Since 2017 the Royal Danish Academy has worked with the Sustainable Development Goals. This is reflected in our research, our teaching and in our students’ projects. This project relates to the following UN goal(-s)